(620 ILCS 5/34b)

Sec. 34b. Airport Land Loan Program.

(a) The Department may make loans to public airport owners for the purchase of any real estate interests as may be needed for essential airport purposes, including future needs, subject to the following conditions:

(1) loans may be made only to public airport owners that are operating an airport as of January 1, 1999; and

(2) loans may not be made for airports that provide scheduled commercial air service in counties of greater than 5,000,000 population.

The loans are payable from the Airport Land Loan Revolving Fund, subject to appropriation. All repayments of loans made pursuant to this Section, including interest thereon and penalties, shall be deposited in the Airport Land Loan Revolving Fund. The Treasurer shall deposit all investment earnings arising from balances in the Airport Land Loan Revolving Fund in that Fund.

(b) All loans under this Section shall be made by contract between the Department and the public airport owner, which contract shall include the following provisions:

(1) The annual rate of interest shall be the lesser of (A) 2 percent below the Prime Rate charged by banks, as published by the Federal Reserve Board, in effect at the time the Department approves the loan, or (B) a rate determined by the Department, after consultation with the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, that will not adversely affect the tax-exempt status of interest on the bonds of the State issued in whole or in part to make deposits into the Airport Land Loan Revolving Fund, nor diminish the benefit to the State of the tax-exempt status of the interest on such bonds.

(2) The term of any loan shall not exceed five years, but it may be for less by mutual agreement.

(3) Loan payments shall be scheduled in equal amounts for the periods determined under paragraph (4) of this Section. The loan payments shall be calculated so that the loan is completely repaid, with interest, on outstanding balances, by the end of the term determined under paragraph (2) of this Section. There shall be no penalty for early payment ahead of the payment schedule.

(4) The period of loan payments shall be annual, unless by mutual agreement a period of less than one year is chosen.

(5) The loan shall be secured with the land purchased, in whole or in part, with the loan and considered as collateral. The public airport owner shall assign a first priority interest in the property to the State.

(6) If the loan payment is not made within 15 days after the scheduled date determined under paragraph (3) of this Section, a penalty of 10% of the payment shall be assessed. If 30 days after the scheduled payment date no payment has been received, the loan shall be considered in default.

(7) As soon as a loan is considered in default, the Department shall notify the public airport owner and attempt to enter into a renegotiation of the loan payment amounts and schedule determined under paragraph (3) of this Section. In no case shall the term of the loan be extended beyond the initial term determined under paragraph (2) of this Section; nor shall the interest rate be lowered nor any interest be forgiven. If a renegotiation of loan payment amounts and schedule is obtained to the Department's satisfaction within 30 days of notification of default, then the new payment schedule shall replace the one determined by paragraph (3) of this Section and shall be used to measure compliance with the loan for purposes of default. If after 30 days of notification of default the Department has not obtained a renegotiation to its satisfaction, the Department shall declare the loan balance due and payable immediately. If the public airport owner cannot immediately pay the balance of the loan, the Department shall proceed to foreclose.

(c) The Department may promulgate any rules that it finds appropriate to implement this Airport Land Loan Program.

(d) The Airport Land Loan Revolving Fund is created in the State Treasury.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)